


The First One

by BloodInTheFields



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 18:46:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 19,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4490634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodInTheFields/pseuds/BloodInTheFields
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Published a few years ago on ff.net. </p>
<p>Takes place right after the end of 4x06. </p>
<p>After his break-up with Elena, Stefan calls someone to cheer him up. And she'll always be there for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

She pulls her phone out of her purse and looks at the name on her screen. A frown immediately appears on her face. That is not something she expected. Curious, she answers:

 

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Stefan, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I… Where are you? Are you still in the country?”

 

Her mind works rapidly, trying to see if there’s a hidden agenda behind this question. Finally, she settles for a non-committedly “maybe”.

 

“Katherine…”

 

He sounds exhausted, and somehow it surprises her.

 

“What? Why are you calling me, Stefan? Are you compelled by Klaus again? Does he wish to know where I am?”

“I’m not compelled by anyone, and I doubt you’re even on Klaus’ mind right now. I just… I needed to talk to someone.”

“You have plenty of friends in Mystic Falls, you have Damon and your precious Elena, why don’t you talk to one of them?”

 

She hears him sigh at the other end of the line and maybe—just maybe—it is more serious than what she thinks. And she’s curious. She wants to know.

 

“What is it, Stefan?”

“Elena and I broke up.”

 

Katherine stops dead in her tracks.

 

“Say that again? Little Miss Perfect is no longer your girlfriend? What happened?”

“Ever since she turned, I felt like there w—“

“Wow hey wait here! What do you mean she turned?”

“Damon didn’t tell you? I… I let her die. It’s a long story, really.”

“Make it short.”

 “If Klaus dies; we all die. And for a moment, we thought he was dead. Elena was in Matt’s car with him. They were coming back to say goodbye to us because we believed we were going to die. Rebekah… She got mad, and she stood in the middle of the road, on the Wickery Bridge. Matt tried to avoid her and in doing so… They went over the bridge. I ran as fast as I could and then… She asked me to save him. So I did. But when I got back to her, it was too late.”

“She died.”

“And she had vampire blood in her system.”

“She’s a vampire,” Katherine breathes out.

 

That was something she didn’t expect. Not that soon.

 

“She’s different. You… You never told me, about having to drink from the vein.”

“Yeah, well, it was just at first. As you know, now I can handle blood bags. Although animal blood still repulses me.”

 

Katherine sits down on the nearest bench of the small park of the town. There is no sun today; the sky is cloudy. There is no one outside but this town is crappy anyway. She was about to leave when Stefan called. Her bags are already in her car.

 

“I still don’t understand the break-up part.”

“Her feelings for Damon…”

“Ah, yes, Damon. Of course. She finally allowed herself to admit it, huh?”

“And I can’t do it all over again. I can’t compete with him over a girl, _again_.”

“And she’s not any girl, is she? She’s my doppelganger. I always knew this would happen, Stefan. And please, let me say it…”

“Fine, say it.”

“I told you so!”

 

She’s sure that he has this sad smile on his lips right now, even though she can’t see him. She knows him too well. After all, she spent years checking up on him.

 

“I’m still in the country,” she says after a silence.

“Do you think I could meet you somewhere?” Stefan asks in a hopeful voice.

 

Clearly, he’s desperate to get the hell out of Mystic Falls. And Stefan’s always been her weakness.

 

“Do you think you can be ready in two hours?”

 

He chuckles. Well, at least that’s a proof he’s not becoming a zombie.

 

“You’re just next town, aren’t you?”

“Well, let’s just say I’m not as far away as everybody thinks I am. I’ll pick you up at the Mystic Grill. See you soon, gorgeous.”

 

She’s about to hang up, but his voice stops her.

 

“Katherine!”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

 

Three whole seconds of silence, and she murmurs:

 

“Anything for you.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Damon, we need to talk.”

 

He turns around and looks up at Elena who has just spoken. They’re about to go outside to dance at the Miss Mystic Falls ball but Damon stops anyway and waits for her to go on.

 

“I… I tried to call Stefan. I haven’t seen him since yesterday afternoon and… He’s not answering his cellphone.”

“Does that surprise you?”

 

It sounds a little harsh, but Elena chooses to ignore it.

 

“No, I know he doesn’t want to talk to me and it’s understandable. Which is why I asked Caroline to call him, and she got his voicemail too.”

 

Damon frowns and then sighs.

 

“Well, I suppose you would figure it out sooner or later so…”

“What? What is it, Damon?”

“Stefan left town earlier. I saw him at the house and he had a bag on his shoulder. I think he’ll be gone for a while. Listen, Elena…”

 

He goes up the stairs and stands in front of her.

 

“It is hard for him; it’s hard for all of us. He just needs time.”

“Where will he go? And why didn’t he tell me?”

“Elena, Stefan owes you nothing. He decided not to tell you and that’s his choice.”

 

He can’t help but being a little unnerved because of her attitude. He knows that she still cares a lot for Stefan, and a part of her will always love him, but he also saw the hurt and the pain in his brother’s eyes and Damon would be a liar if he said it didn’t bother him.

 

“I know… I just hate seeing him hurt because of me.”

“He’ll get better. Now come on.”

 

He takes by the arm, and together they walk down the stairs.

__

 

“To us.”

“To us.”

 

Katherine empties her glass within two seconds and immediately, her hand shots up to order another one. Stefan is quick to follow. They’re at a bar in the middle of the afternoon, and he doesn’t exactly know where. It’s not like it matters anyway. He can’t believe he’s actually sitting next to Katherine and drinking with her. Not to forget her, but to forget Elena. Things change.

 

“So where do you wanna go next, Mister Salvatore? Anywhere I should drop you off?”

“What, you already want to get rid of me? You’re offending me, Miss Pierce.”

 

She smacks his arm lightly and laughs.

 

“No, I’m just curious. You have plenty of connections all over the country. Where should we be headed?”

“I don’t know let’s just enjoy it here and then we’ll drive. Maybe we’ll end up at the ocean or something.”

“The ocean it is, then. Cheers!”

 

__

 

Stefan is pretty sure that the sand has infiltrated his clothes, but he’s too far gone to care. He can feel the water at his feet. His eyes are closed but that doesn’t help his head to stop spinning. There are three empty bottles of bourbon next to him, and two are still full. Suddenly, he feels droplets of water falling onto his face, and his green eyes open. Katherine is leaning over him, her hair wet and she’s clearly amused to see him so drunk.

 

“So what, now you can’t handle a bit of alcohol?”

“We’ve spent the whole day drinking. I’m not five hundred-and-something years old. At some point I can’t take anymore.”

 

She smirks and lies down on the sand beside him. The sky is full of stars tonight, and the sand is warm even though the sun set down hours ago. They remain silent for a long time, and Katherine starts thinking that Stefan has fallen asleep when he speaks.

 

“I knew it would happen, eventually.”

 

She doesn’t answer, so he goes on.

 

“Damon was a great guy when we were human. Being a vampire hurt him and made him bitter, but inside he’s still that same great guy. A young man who lost his innocence and his life way too soon.”

 

His thoughts are surprisingly clear for a drunken man.

 

“Why would she prefer me? I can’t give her what she needs now. She needs to be controlled and I can’t be near human blood for too long without wanting to snap and start killing. I can’t drink it. Damon can. He’s the best choice, the best option.”

 

Katherine sees the first tear rolling down his face, and silently she uses her thumb to wipe it away. Stefan doesn’t push her away. It’s weird, she thinks. It’s not something she usually does, listening to someone’s problems and heartaches. The small gesture makes Stefan feel slightly better. At least, someone is here for him and only for him.

 

“Do you think we’re cursed? Damon and I?”

 

That almost makes Katherine laugh out loud.

 

“Why would you be cursed? If anything, Elena and I are cursed.”

“Then we’re all cursed,” Stefan says in a serious tone.

“Yeah. Maybe we are.”

 

He reaches for her hand and she gladly lets him take it.

 

“Thank you for being here. Do you think we can sleep on the beach tonight?”

“Sure.”

 

Long after Stefan has fallen asleep; Katherine gets up and walks for a while on the damp sand. She needs to clear her head and remember that Stefan is heartbroken and that the small gestures like taking her hand do not mean anything to him. He just needs comfort. She looks back toward his sleeping form a hundred feet away. Yes, really, Stefan is her weakness.


	3. Chapter 3

Stefan wakes up to the sound of someone approaching. His head hurts like hell, and he has to rub his eyes several times before being able to open them. The morning jogger who awoke him gives him the thumbs up and a smile before continuing his run. It takes him a second to understand. Katherine is pressed against his right side and one of her hands is resting on his torso. He can’t remember the last time he saw her looking so vulnerable. And he can’t remember what happened last night. He just vaguely recalls their arrival to the beach. Then Stefan sees the bottles next to them and he shakes his head lightly. His eyes land on Katherine again and he sighs. She looks so much like Elena in this moment that the pain of losing his girlfriend to his brother comes back full force. But he doesn’t move and he doesn’t look away. Her face is compelling and Stefan tries his hardest to remember that this is Katherine, and that Elena left him and doesn’t love him anymore. Unconsciously, his right arm closes around her waist and brings her even closer against him. Katherine and he have history. They share a common—although brief—past. And even though he suffered because of her, Stefan knows that Katherine has had her fair share of pain as well. For a moment, he lets the memories flood his mind; memories of his human years, the years spent before and after Katherine’s arrival in his and Damon’s lives. Everything was much more simple back then.

 

Stefan’s eyes fix the morning sky as he remembers the day the three of them had played outside, in the beautiful garden of the Salvatore mansion. There was something so powerful in that moment, before things had gotten complicated and he had had to compete with his brother to gain Katherine’s affection. Stefan feels like it’s 1864 all over again, except that now the woman’s name isn’t Katherine but Elena. And he meant what he told Elena: he can’t do this anymore.

 

Drowned in his thoughts, Stefan doesn’t notice that Katherine has opened her eyes. Only when he looks back at her and his gaze meets hers does he realize that she’s awake. The moment is less awkward than what Stefan has thought it’d be.

 

“Hey. How long have you been awake?” He asks her.

“Just a minute. Are you okay?”

“My head feels terrible, but I’m fine.”

 

She nods, and it’s another minute before she finally moves away from him and stands up. Did they really just share a moment of intimacy? She _was_ wrapped around him like a lover would be. As soon as the thought comes to her mind; Katherine dismisses it.

 

“Well maybe we should try to find you some aspirin.”

“I have another idea.”

 

Katherine barely has time to turn to look at him that Stefan is standing in front of her with a mischievous grin.

 

“Stefan?”

 

Using his vampire speed, Stefan sweeps Katherine off the sand and runs toward the ocean with her in his arms. The next second, they have water up to their waists and they are laughing hard.

 

“It’s not even seven in the morning!” Katherine yells.

 

But she can’t erase the smile on her face.

 

“So what, you needed a shower!” Stefan answers playfully.

 

She splashes water onto him and they decide to swim for a while. It’s incredible—and a little disturbing—that Katherine has the power to make him forget everything else. He’s just so young and free around her. And he still thinks she is stunningly beautiful. Stefan finds himself swimming closer to Katherine and they stop smiling once they’re face to face.

 

“You do realize we’ll have to wait until our clothes are dry before getting back to the car, right?”

“Well, it doesn’t look like it’s gonna rain anytime soon. I don’t mind spending my day here.”

“I’m getting hungry, Salvatore.”

“We still have alcohol on the beach and please, don’t tell me you don’t have blood bags in your car.”

“I might have two, or three. But what will you hunt, here? Fish?” She teases him.

“Maybe I could take just a little blood from one of the bags. If you don’t mind sharing.”

 

His almost shyness is something that Stefan already had when she met him in 1864. That’s part of what made her fall for him.

 

“Sure. But just so you know, I’m fine with you eating rabbits.”

 

And just like that, she makes him smile again.

 

__

 

“So, I tried to call Stefan again today, but no luck. Listen, Elena, I understand that you’re upset but I won’t keep trying to call him. He needs time and I respect that.”

“I know, Caroline. Sorry. I understand that you don’t want to be in the middle of this, I’m just worried.”

“He’s a vampire, Elena. I don’t think you need to worry about him. He probably just chose to visit some friends.”

“Yeah…”

 

This doesn’t help Elena from feeling guilty. Stefan left two days ago and he didn’t pick up his phone once. She knows that things are over between them, but it doesn’t mean that she wants Stefan out of her life. Caroline waves her hand in front of Elena’s eyes to get her attention.

 

“Okay, stop mopping. Let’s do something fun, today! Drama-free, no boys. Just the two of us and Bonnie, if she’s not too busy with Shane.”

 

Elena takes a few seconds to think about it. Some time apart from Damon will do her good. Plus, she really needs some new clothes. She ruined too many shirts with blood.

 

“It’s a great idea. You’re right, let’s call Bonnie!”

 

Caroline smiles and nods. Hopefully this will take Stefan out of Elena’s mind. At least for a while.


	4. Chapter 4

Damon empties another glass of bourbon before he sits down on his couch. It’s been a week since Stefan left town and he still hasn’t called. Damon may not admit it out loud but he’s starting to worry about his brother. And he hates to even think this, but Elena’s timing for telling Stefan that she had feelings for his brother was really bad. Stefan was ready to do anything to find a cure for her, and it makes Damon feel even guiltier that she chose him in the end. The mix of happiness and sadness within him is not a good thing. So he drinks, all alone in his house. It’s better than being at the Mystic Grill, where he could easily snap at anyone trying to push his buttons. Since this morning he’s been avoiding Elena’s phone calls, and Damon knows it won’t be long now before she comes over to see what’s wrong with him. There is no right answer to give her.

 

__

 

“Thanks, Lee. It was nice seeing you.”

“Take care of you, Stefan. You’re welcome here, anytime.”

“I’ll come back soon.”

“Okay.”

 

The two men shake hands, and Stefan jogs back to the car, where Katherine is waiting for him. When she sees him, a smile lights up her face.

 

“Hey. You didn’t take long.”

“Well, I promised him I’d visit him more often.”

“Hmm.”

 

Stefan wishes he could have introduced Katherine to Lee, but he’s pretty sure Lexi had made a negative portrait of her to her boyfriend. Four years later, Lee still hates Damon’s guts for killing Lexi. And it’s understandable. Stefan himself will never forgive his brother for killing his best friend. Lexi wasn’t fond of Katherine even though she had never met her personally. She had just heard Stefan’s stories and to her it was enough to spread the word that Katherine Pierce was a heartless bitch. Stefan doesn’t know Lee very well; they’ve seen each other a few times over the years. But the loss of Lexi brought them closer. Maybe next time, and if Stefan is still with Katherine, he’ll make the introductions.

 

“Where do you want to go next?”

“Katherine… I’ll understand if you leave, you know?”

 

She looks at him with a raised eyebrow.

 

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’ve been listening to me complaining about Elena and Damon for a week now, you practically carried me every night into our hotel room because I couldn’t walk straight and I almost puked on you the other night. I’d understand if you were fed up with all this and wanted to leave.”

 

To his surprise, Katherine bursts out laughing, and after a few seconds he can’t help but smile.

 

“What? What’s so funny?”

“You! You are, Stefan. You really think I’m fed up with you? C’mon, it’s been a while since I’ve had so much fun!”

“Oh, I can’t believe that,” Stefan says as he drives away from Lee’s apartment. “You are the definition of fun, Katherine!”

“Don’t flatter me, Salvatore. You’re still buying first round tonight!”

 

Stefan doesn’t answer, but the smile doesn’t leave his face the whole time they’re on the road.

 

__

 

Caroline slumps down on the couch in her living-room with a letter in her hand. Her name is written on the envelope but she has no idea from whom it is. It is not Klaus’ handwriting. She opens it quickly and starts reading.

 

_“Caroline,_

_I’m sorry I didn’t answer your calls. I guess I needed some days for myself, without having to worry about Mystic Falls. Don’t try to reach me on my phone, it has no battery left. Don’t worry about me; everything’s fine. I’ll write more to you in a few days. Take care._

_Your friend,_

_Stefan.”_

 

The blonde vampire sets the letter down beside her and sighs. At least Stefan is still alive. He did not say where he was, but it doesn’t matter. She hesitates: should she call Elena? Damon? Finally she decides not to tell anyone that Stefan wrote to her. She’s not sure he’d want her to share the information.

 

__

 

“Damon? Damon where are you?”

“In here.”

 

Elena frowns at his slurred answer. She speeds up to his bedroom and opens the door. Damon is lying on his bed, shirtless, face buried in his pillow. Immediately she notices the empty bottles next to the bed. She sighs loudly and enters the room.

 

“Seriously? It’s three p.m. and you’re drunk. Nice job.”

“Don’t speak so loud,” he whines.

 

Silently, she sits down next to him and tentatively runs her hand through his short hair. At last, he looks up and meets her eyes.

 

“Don’t do that, Damon.”

“Do what?”

“You know what. Stefan will come back. You’re his brother and he loves you.”

“I stole his girlfriend away from him. He hates me.”

“You didn’t _steal_ me. I just happened to… return your feelings. We are not responsible, Damon.”

“I’m a crappy brother.”

“No, you’re not.”

“He just wants to help you, to save you.”

“And so do you. Look, I love Stefan but it’s not the same as it was before. I _died_ , Damon. I became a vampire. As much as I hate it, it’s what I am. And I couldn’t lie to Stefan, not after everything we’ve been through. So I let him go, and he let me go. I know it’s gonna take some time, but we will have our chance together.”

 

Damon finally takes Elena’s hand and pulls her towards him. She doesn’t resist.

 

“Do you think he’ll hate me forever?”

“He won’t, Damon. He’s upset; we all are. I just wish I knew where he was, and with whom. I don’t want him to feel alone.”

 

__

 

“What if I teach you how to feed properly?”

 

The question comes out of the blue and takes Stefan aback.

 

“What?”

“Your problem is that you can’t control yourself, Stefan. I can help with that. I’m stronger than you. Every time I feel like you’re losing it, I’ll pull you back. We have time. We can start slowly. It’s not like we have anything better to do anyway.”

 

Stefan expected to reject the idea immediately, but to his own surprise, he doesn’t. He ponders on Katherine’s words. What if he could control himself around human blood? Then he could help Elena. He could be more free.

 

“That would be great, Katherine.”

 

She smiles at him and holds out her hand:

 

“Shall we begin our first lesson?”


	5. Chapter 5

It’s been months since Stefan has tasted blood this sweet. The rich liquid fills his mouth and he tries really hard not to plunge his fangs deeper into the woman’s neck. His eyes never leave Katherine’s. She’s standing right behind the blonde woman they chose and she’s holding her in place. She watches him carefully, and one of her hands is closed around the wrist of the victim to check her pulse.

 

“Stefan,” she starts by saying.

“A little more,” he answers simply.

 

She nods and waits another ten seconds.

 

“Stefan,” she repeats, but this time her tone is more serious. “Stefan!”

 

He groans but pulls back anyway. Immediately, Katherine bites her wrist and shoves it against the woman’s mouth, forcing her to swallow some blood. Then she turns her around and looks her in the eye:

 

“You left the bar, you went straight home.”

“I left the bar, I went straight home,” the woman repeats numbly.

“Good. Now go.”

 

When she’s alone with Stefan, Katherine fumbles in her pocket and gives him a tissue. Silently, Stefan takes it and wipes his mouth before throwing it into the nearest trash can. Katherine raises an eyebrow and smirks.

 

“Mister Salvatore, environmentalist.”

“What, I just don’t want to have to live forever in a polluted world.”

“Good. I’d have kicked your ass if you had thrown it on the ground, anyway.”

“Oh, really?”

“Really.”

 

They start to walk back to the car in silence. Once Stefan is behind the wheel, he turns to ask the question that’s been on his mind since they started this whole thing of controlling his bloodlust.

 

“Why do you wanna help me?”

“Why do you keep questioning my motives?” She shots back immediately.

 

They look at each other fiercely, not wanting to be the first one to yield.

 

“I’ve asked you first.”

“What are you, five?”

“Just answer the question, Katherine. What’s in it for you?”

“For me, nothing. I’m doing it for you, Stefan.”

 

He looks deeply into her eyes and Katherine feels like he’s searching answers right into her soul.

 

“Why would you do this for me, then?”

“You know why.”

 

__

 

Things are a bit tense after the scene in the car. Katherine remains silent after her almost-confession to Stefan, and the latter tries really hard to forget her words. He doesn’t want to think of Katherine as a potential love interest. It is way too soon after his break-up with Elena. Not to mention the fact that they already have history together and most of it is bad. He doesn’t want to get involved with anyone right now. Maybe staying with Katherine for so long is a bad idea after all.

 

“Okay, let’s not pretend that this is not awkward,” Katherine suddenly says.

 

Stefan breathes in relief. He’s glad that she’s the one to break the ice.

 

“Just… Let me help you and don’t ask, okay? You did well tonight, but you have to listen to me when I say ‘stop’ the first time.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Goodnight.”

“Wait, you’re going to sleep now? You don’t want to… go out?”

 

For some reason he doesn’t want to let her go just yet.

 

“I… thought you wouldn’t want to. After earlier.”

“And I thought we agreed not to talk about earlier?”

 

Katherine looks at him doubtfully for a few seconds before smiling.

 

“Okay then. I feel like dancing. I heard there’s this new club in town.”

“Give me a minute to get ready.”

 

As he walks past her, Stefan gives her shoulder a gentle squeeze and he places a light kiss on her temple. He has no idea why he just did that but Katherine doesn’t react so Stefan just disappears in the bathroom of their hotel room. Katherine sits down on the couch and runs a hand through her curls. Things are not going the way she expected them to go. Her feelings for Stefan are resurfacing and she’s not sure that spending all of her time with him is good for her sanity. He is trying to forget Elena, her _doppelganger_. If anything, he should be as far away from her as possible. Yet he sticks with her, which is weird, in itself. But if he feels good with her, who is she to send him away?

 

“Hey, you ready?”

 

She hasn’t even heard him leaving the bathroom. Stefan is wearing a pair of blue jeans and a yellow shirt. A _yellow_ shirt.

 

“Wow, this must be the first time I see you wearing yellow.”

“Yeah, I… wanted some color.”

“It’s a nice change. Makes you look less broody.”

 

He chuckles and switches off the light.

 

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Right behind you, Salvatore.”

 

__

 

Stefan watches from afar as Katherine moves gracefully, her back tightly pressed against some random guy’s front. It’s been two hours now and she hasn’t paid attention to him at all. It’s like he’s not even here, and Stefan doesn’t like it. For more than a week now, they’ve spent most of their time together and it made him forget about all the drama in Mystic Falls. But in this moment, it feels like she’s completely ignoring him and it’s driving him insane. He doesn’t even know why. Maybe because of her earlier words, maybe because he is the one she really wants and she pretends not to care. As he empties another drink, Stefan realizes that what he feels is close to jealousy and rage; something he hasn’t felt in quite a while.

 

Finally, he stands up from his tool and makes his way through the dancing crowd until he’s reached her. She looks at him playfully and the man behind her puts his hands on her hips. Stefan pushes him away easily and when the man looks like he’s about to protest, Stefan compels him to forget everything and go home. The man leaves without further trouble. Immediately, Stefan takes Katherine’s hand and leads her outside the club. Once they’re alone, he slams her against the wall.

 

“What the hell are you trying to do, Katherine?!”

“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

 

She could easily throw him off of her, but she decides to let him speak first.

 

“What was that, in the club?”

“I was dancing.”

“Don’t play with me.”

 

Stefan can barely recognize himself. He knows that this is one of the consequences of human blood on him. It makes him stronger but also angrier and more dominant. But he can’t seem to fight what he’s feeling. Katherine sees the little veins around his eyes and she thinks for a second that she’s never been this turned on by him. Slowly, she raises one of her hand and grabs his shirt to bring him even closer to her.

 

“Careful, Mister Salvatore, or I’m gonna think you’re jealous.”

 

Then she pushes him away as if he doesn’t weight more than a feather and she starts walking away, leaving a confused Stefan behind her. What the hell just happened?


	6. Chapter 6

_“Caroline,_

_I know it’s been a month since my last letter. I don’t expect you to forgive me for not contacting you before. I needed some time. I’ve heard that Damon wants to leave Mystic Falls and start looking for me. You have to convince him to stay there. I can’t tell you much more but know that I’m not alone and I’m working on something important. I hope you’re doing well and that Klaus isn’t bothering you too much. I think I’ll be back in a few. Maybe we could do something fun, just you and me. Take care._

_Your friend,_

_Stefan”_

 

Once she finishes her reading, Caroline folds the letter and puts it on the kitchen table. Stefan said he’d be back in a few, but in a few what? Days, weeks, months, years? Decades? She also notices that he didn’t mention Elena’s name. And how does he know about Damon? That’s many questions and she has no answer. She wishes that she could write to him too, but he didn’t indicate an address. He’s probably always on the move. And who’s with him? Again, Caroline has no plausible answer.

 

__

 

“So, brunette or blonde for breakfast, Salvatore?”

“I’ll have whatever you’re having, Pierce. I trust you have good taste in choosing your victims.”

 

She gives him a sly smile and heads for the door, but his arm closes the door before she can open it. Katherine turns back to face Stefan.

 

“What?”

“You don’t kiss me goodbye?”

 

Slowly, Katherine closes the distance between them until their noses are almost touching. She never breaks eye contact. She knows Stefan will back away. He always does. It’s been like that for a couple of weeks. He’s different. He’s more daring, more challenging, and more fun. And he’s teasing her relentlessly. In return, Katherine takes every opportunity that she has to make him jealous. She flirts shamelessly with every man they encounter and she likes to see the rage in Stefan’s eyes. He doesn’t try to explain it and she never asks. Their physical proximity has increased lately, although there has been no real contact. It’s a game they’re playing, with unspoken rules and silent agreement. Sometimes it becomes too much for Katherine and she puts a little distance between them. Stefan understands and he knows that he must not push it too far. He’s confused about his own feelings and there’s this jealousy he still can’t comprehend. As expected, when Katherine gets too close, he steps back.

 

“Well okay then. No kiss. I won’t be long,” Katherine says before leaving.

 

Once the door is closed, Stefan sits on the edge of the bed and sighs. He doesn’t know what’s worse: the fact that he managed to forget all about Elena in barely a month when he thought he could never get over it, or the fact that the one haunting his dreams now is Katherine. One thing is certain: he can’t tell her. He can’t tell her that she’s gotten under his skin.

 

Surprisingly, his bloodlust is not as bad as he thought it would be. Maybe that’s because he got used to it when he was with Klaus, or maybe that’s because he knows he can count on Katherine to kick his ass if he goes too far. She had to do it twice. It happened on a night when Stefan felt depressed. He had drunk way too much and a girl would not stop hitting on him, so he had led her outside and he had attacked her. Without the compulsion telling her to hold still and be quiet, the girl had tried to fight him off and she had screamed. This was what had alerted Katherine and she had immediately chased after Stefan outside the bar. She had found him right when the girl had started to lose consciousness and it had required some efforts to make Stefan lose his grip on the woman. Katherine had yelled at him for hours afterwards and he had listened without a word.

 

Stefan smiles as he remembers how angry she had been. He really can’t imagine going anywhere without her.

 

__

 

“Hey, Elena. Is Damon here?”

 

Elena looks at Caroline suspiciously.

 

“Hum, why would you want to see him? I mean… You can’t stand him.”

“I have some things to discuss with him.”

“What kind of things? Is it about Stefan?”

“The kind of _private_ things.”

 

Elena still doesn’t move from the doorway and Caroline is starting to be slightly annoyed with her friend’s behavior. Thankfully, Damon appears behind the brunette and he puts a hand on her shoulder.

 

“It’s okay, let me talk to Caroline.”

 

Their eyes meet and Elena finally nods and steps back, thinking that Damon will probably tell her all the details later and that she might even be able to eavesdrop a little. But to her surprise, Damon joins Caroline outside and he gestures toward his car.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Caroline follows him without hesitation.

 

__

 

“I’ve received news from Stefan.”

 

Damon’s head shots up as he hears that.

 

“What? When?”

“This morning. He sent me a letter.”

“From where?”

“I don’t know.”

“What did he say?”

 

Caroline takes a sip from her drink and sets it back down on the counter of the Mystic Grill.

 

“Just that he was okay and that he wasn’t alone. And he asked me to tell you not to come after him. He needs time.”

“But…”

“He needs time, Damon.”

 

When it comes to Stefan, Caroline feels fiercely protective even if it means going up against Damon. The time when she was afraid of him is over.

 

“So I suggest that for once, you trust him and you do as he says. Stay here, with Elena.”

“Elena… What did he say about her?”

“Well… Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Why should he? It’s not like they’re friends or anything!”

 

Damon doesn’t insist. Since Stefan’s departure and his growing proximity with Elena, the young woman’s friends have kept some distance. No one approves of their relationship. Sometimes, he thinks that Elena will change her mind and that she’ll go back to Stefan if he comes back.

 

“Listen, Stefan said that he’d be back, okay? You don’t need to go looking for him.”

 

The blue-eyed male vampire nods absently, lost in his thoughts. Caroline empties her glass and stands up.

 

“And please, don’t say anything to Elena.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not sure that Stefan wants anything to do with her. I guess the break-up is still too fresh.”

“Okay.”

 

He turns to the bartender and orders another drink, and Caroline takes that as her cue to leave.

__

 

“Damon tried to call me,” Katherine says as she comes back from the reception of the hotel they’re staying in.

 

Stefan stops doing his sit-ups and stands up.

 

“When?”

“Like ten minutes ago. I didn’t answer.”

“Maybe you should have.”

“And then what? I would’ve lied to him? Tell him I have no idea where you are?”

 

Katherine walks toward the window of their room and looks outside. The night has fallen an hour ago, and soon they’ll go out to feed. She doesn’t even hear Stefan approach and she almost startles when she feels a pair of arms encircle her waist. Slowly, she leans back until her head rests on his left shoulder. The lights of the city remind Katherine of fireflies and she thinks that she could stay here all night long, in Stefan’s arms. But soon enough, reality catches up with her. Stefan is not hers. Tomorrow, another day will begin and it’ll bring them closer to the day when he will have to go back to Mystic Falls. And then she’ll be all alone, again. She closes her eyes and clears her mind from all these thoughts. For now, she feels good, she feels at peace and she wants to enjoy it while it lasts.


	7. Chapter 7

“When do you think you’ll go back?”

 

They’re sitting at a table in a famous restaurant when Katherine asks the question. Stefan stops eating and he frowns. Of course Katherine would be wondering about his return to Mystic Falls.

 

“To be honest I haven’t thought about it yet.”

“You know that you’ll never have closure if you don’t—“

“I know, Katherine. I just don’t think it’s a good idea right now.”

“Why not?”

 

 _Because I don’t know how I feel anymore,_ Stefan thinks.

 

“Because I’d rather have my bloodlust under control before going back.”

“Oh. Well don’t worry about that. You’re doing well. It’s been more than a week since I’ve last had to yell at you and we’ve been feeding three times a day.”

 

They interrupt their conversation as the waitress comes to ask them if they need anything. Katherine smiles politely and sends her away after thanking her.

 

“Listen, maybe we should leave for Mystic Falls tomorrow morning and we’ll stay out of sight for a while. You know I like to make my presence known only on my terms.”

 

Stefan has to laugh at her words. Yes, he definitely knows that.

 

“Well, give me the night to think about it.”

“That’s a deal.”

 

They spend the rest of the evening talking about what they’ll do after Mystic Falls. Neither of them realizes that they are actually planning to stick together. It feels natural and right.

 

__

 

Stefan wakes up in the middle of the night and his eyes scan the room to check up on Katherine. She’s not here. He’s alone in the room. Slowly, he pushes the covers back and gets up. He lets his supernatural hearing trying to pick up a sound and after a few seconds, he realizes that she’s on the balcony of their room. The curtains are drawn and he can’t see her but he knows she’s here.

 

“Katherine?” He whispers as to not startle her.

 

She doesn’t turn to face him but she holds out her hand behind her and he takes it as a silent invitation to join her. Together they stand, their fingers entwined, and the cool breeze of the night is a gentle caress on their faces. From this hotel room they can see the whole city and Katherine doesn’t believe that there’s a more beautiful sight than a city by night.

 

“What is this, between us?”

 

Her voice breaks the silence, but she spoke so softly that Stefan thinks for a moment that she didn’t mean to say it out loud.

 

“What is it, Stefan? What does it mean?”

 

Well, now he knows that she was speaking to him.

 

“I’m… not sure I have an answer to give you, Katherine. All I know is that it feels good. I feel good when I’m with you. And sometimes, you drive me crazy but I can’t… I can’t imagine being without you. I shouldn’t feel this way, but I do.”

 

His voice is no more than a whisper but Katherine hears him without any trouble. She squeezes his hand lightly.

 

“Why would you ask me that now?”

 

She hesitates for a second, takes a deep breath and starts talking:

 

“I couldn’t sleep. So I came here, and I started thinking. You know about my feelings for you, you know they’re real. I can’t keep them from you anymore, Stefan. Earlier tonight we were talking about what we’ll do after going to Mystic Falls. And now I realize that… Whether you want it or not, we already are together, Stefan. Minus the sex and everything, but still. We are acting like a couple. Yesterday that man in the street said that you were lucky to have such a pretty girlfriend, and you didn’t deny it. Last week you bought me a red rose. Would you do that for someone like, I don’t know, Caroline? And all the times you get jealous when I flirt with random guys? You don’t do that with your friends. And I know that being on human blood makes you different; that it heightens your feelings, but it can’t change you that much.”

 

Stefan has listened without interrupting her, and her tone was still very calm; her eyes still looking at the sleeping city. He doesn’t let go of her hand but he doesn’t reply. Instead, he moves slowly until he’s standing behind her. As usual, his arms circle her waist and she leans back against him. But tonight, Stefan places a small kiss on her neck and he sees how Katherine shivers under the touch of his lips. It makes him remember their nights together back in 1864. Her skin is as smooth as it’s always been. Stefan lets his forehead rest against Katherine’s shoulder and he feels her body tighten.

 

“Stefan…” She begins.

“Shhh. Just… I don’t want to think about tomorrow. I don’t want to think about anything right now. I just need to feel good, and that’s how you make me feel.”

“I won’t always be here.”

 

Stefan ignores the ache in his heart at her words. His hold on her waist tightens and he knows that she felt it.

 

“Don’t leave me. You already did that, once, and it destroyed me. It destroyed Damon, too.”

“You coped well.”

“No. I didn’t. I didn’t want to remember, I wanted to forget all about you, Katherine, but I couldn’t. I lost myself in the bloodlust. That’s why I became the Ripper in the first place. Because I was hurt, and I thought that turning my emotions off would help me. It didn’t. It made it worse. But now, you’ve helped me control it. I can only do it when you’re near.”

 

His voice breaks and Stefan hates himself for being so weak. Clearly, Katherine has heard the sob strangled in his throat. She turns around in his arms and uses one finger to lift his chin.

 

“You are way stronger than you think you are, Salvatore. But if you want me to stay then I’ll stay.”

 

She smiles softly at him and kisses his cheek.

 

“Come back to bed; I think I’ll sleep now.”

 

He takes one last look at the city and follows her inside the room. Tomorrow, they’ll go back to Mystic Falls.


	8. Chapter 8

“This is the last bag,” Katherine says as she hands it over to Stefan, who puts it in the trunk of the car.

“Finally! I thought you’d never stop bringing bags!”

“I’m a lady, Stefan, and I need a new wardrobe every once in a while to please men. And women,” she adds with a smirk.

 

Stefan sits behind the wheel and Katherine climbs in the car after a last look at the hotel.

 

“Okay, it’s a three-hour drive so you’d better have some good music to listen to!”

“But it’s your car,” Stefan objects.

“Whatever.”

“Alright, we should get going. Do you have any idea of where we could stay in Mystic Falls?”

“You should know by now that I always have plans.”

“Right.”

 

Neither Stefan nor Katherine look in the rearview mirror once they start the car. It’s another chapter that begins.

 

__

 

“I can’t believe that you’re actually thinking of dating Damon. For three years you’ve been repeating over and over that it would always be Stefan, that you were not Katherine! Look at you, Elena! You are worse than Katherine!”

 

Elena frowns and she can’t hide the look of hurt in her eyes. But Caroline can’t find it in herself to feel bad about what she just said. Because she means everything that she said.

 

“I am worse than Katherine?”

“Well at least she was doing both brothers and she was honest about it.”

 

The blonde vampire knows that there is a slap coming, and so it’s no surprise when she grabs Elena’s wrist mid-air to prevent her from carrying out the movement.

 

“Let me go,” Elena spits.

“No. If we are going to not talk to each other for months, at least you’ll have a good reason so you’re gonna listen to me. Damon turned Vicky, and he’s the reason she’s dead now. Damon tried to kill Jeremy, Bonnie and Matt. He abused me and used me as he pleased. He killed Tanner. He killed his own nephew. He used Andie. He beat the crap out of my father. Stefan has done many bad things, that’s true. But why did he do it? Why did he leave with Klaus in the first place? Did he tell you about it, Elena? Because he told me everything. He said that in exchange for the cure for Damon’s werewolf bite, he had agreed to spend a decade with Klaus. To save Damon, Elena. How many times Stefan has saved Damon’s ungrateful ass? And what happened to “Stefan lets me take my own decisions”, huh? Why did you have to get involved with both brothers?”

“Shut up, you don’t understand.”

“Oh I think I do. You are attracted to bad boys. But Damon’s not a bad boy, he’s a monster.”

“Damon did not choose to become a vampire!”

“Being a vampire doesn’t mean you’re allowed to kill people or play with them! I think that we’ve shown that we are able to control our urges even if Stefan still has trouble with it. You are my friend and that’s why I will be totally honest with you: you are doing the biggest mistake of your life by choosing Damon. And I’m not saying that you should get back with Stefan instead because clearly, you don’t deserve him. I feel sorry for you.”

 

Elena doesn’t answer. She’s too shocked. She didn’t expect such an aggressive speech from Caroline. She knows that things will never be the same between them now. Caroline is known as being straightforward and brutally honest but Elena had never been on the receiving end of her friend’s wrath.

 

“So, now that I’ve said what I wanted to say, I’m just gonna leave you alone. I’m sure that Damon will come over soon and you can cry on his shoulder.”

 

Caroline doesn’t wait for an answer and she slams the door on her way out. What had begun as a nice lunch between friends had ended up in the biggest fight ever between them. It is clear now that she’s picked Stefan’s side and she doesn’t regret her choice. She wishes he would be here. Maybe things would be easier if she could talk to him.

 

__

 

Katherine and Stefan park the car in front of a house that he’s never seen before. It’s hidden behind trees and it can’t be seen from the road.

 

“Do you know the owner?”

“No. Do I need to know the owner?”

 

Stefan frowns; he understands all too well what that means. Although he does not approve of her method, he remains silent because there are no other options at the moment. Quickly, Katherine compels the owner—a solitary old lady—to stay at a motel in town and say that there are some work that needs to be done at her house if someone asks her something. Then she takes all her bags out of the car with the help of Stefan and they settle in the house.

 

“It’s quite comfy, don’t you think? I particularly enjoy this leather couch,” Katherine says as she is half-sprawled across said couch.

“Well then you’ll have no problem sleeping here at night while I take the bedroom.”

 

She glares at him and he smirks.

 

“You do not kick a lady out of a bed, Stefan. It’s very impolite.”

“Oh but that was merely a suggestion. Of course we can share the bed if your Highness allows it.”

 

Katherine pretends to think about it for a few seconds and finally nods her consent.

 

“Alright, but as soon as my prince comes to sweep me off my feet you’ll need to leave or sleep on the floor.”

 

As soon as she tells her joke, Katherine notices the change in Stefan’s behavior. His smile disappears and his body tenses. She gets up and walks up to him until she faces him.

 

“Oh c’mon Stefan, that was a joke! You know you’re the only one for me,” she says seductively in an attempt to soften his mood.

 

It doesn’t have the desired effect. Instead, Stefan grabs her wrists and roughly pins her to the couch, his body pressed against hers.

 

“Oh, is that your cellphone I can feel or are you just really happy right now?” She struggles to say as one of his hand made its way to her throat.

“Stop messing with me, Katherine. Stop trying to say these things when you know it makes me snap.”

 

But that only makes Katherine smile as she wraps her legs around his to bring him even closer.

 

“That is _definitely_ no cellphone Mister Salvatore.”

 

He looks at her intensely for a few more seconds during which her smile never wavers before Stefan finally lets her go and stands up.

 

“I’m gonna take a shower,” he tells her as he walks away.

“Make sure it’s a cold one!” She shouts when he disappears from her view.


	9. Chapter 9

“I think I’m gonna tell Caroline that I’m here.”

“What? No!”

“She’s my only friend and I’d like to talk to her. We could let her know, I’m sure she’d keep it to herself.”

“You told me that Klaus was following her everywhere. He will know and if he learns that I’m in town, I’m as good as dead,” Katherine says flatly.

“I wouldn’t let him hurt you.”

“Oh yeah, because you’re stronger than an Original hybrid.”

 

The sarcastic tone of Katherine isn’t lost on Stefan, and instinctively he pulls her even closer to him. They are watching TV in the living-room and Katherine sits in between Stefan’s legs, her back resting against his torso. Stefan’s chin rests on her right shoulder and his arms hold her prisoner of his embrace.

 

“I wouldn’t let him,” he repeats. “But I really want her to know that I’m here.”

“Fine, but if Klaus finds me, I’ll find a way to stake her before I die and then you’ll have no one,” she answers with a pout.

 

Stefan smiles and kisses her cheek.

 

“Thank you. This movie sucks.”

“It’s not like there’s anything else we can do.”

 

 _I can think of a few other things to do,_ Stefan thinks.

 

“I can hear your dirty mind screaming dirty ideas in my ear, Salvatore.”

“Oh, really?”

“Hmm hmm.”

“And what does it tell you?”

 

Katherine puts her hand on his leg and squeezes before slowly moving her hand up Stefan’s leg until it reaches his thigh. Her eyes never leaves the TV screen but she can feel Stefan’s breath getting caught in his throat.

 

“Nervous, Stefan?”

“No,” he responds immediately.

 

She smirks. After all, she’s a master at seduction and she knows exactly how to get a reaction from a man.

 

“You know what; maybe we should find a snack. I feel a little bit hungry.”

 

Stefan is quick to agree and he disentangles himself from Katherine.

 

“Let’s just make sure that we don’t get seen, okay?”

“Yeah.”

 

They opt to walk instead of taking the car. They are right outside of town and they are fairly certain that no one will be outside this late at night. The first person that they cross path with will be perfect. Katherine lets Stefan walk ahead of her the entire time. She knows that soon he’ll give in to his animalistic instincts and he’ll want to throw her on a bed and have his way with her. She’d let him do it. She’s been waiting for decades to have him again in this way. But something is holding her back, and Katherine tries in vain to understand what exactly. It prevents her from throwing herself at him, literally.

 

“You okay?”

 

Katherine was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even see him stop. He reaches for her hand and she takes it gladly.

 

“Yes, I’m fine. Just thinking.”

“Let’s be more careful now, we’re almost at the park. We should find someone there.”

 

__

 

Caroline wakes up to the sound of her alarm-clock and she reluctantly gets out of bed to take a shower. It’s seven in the morning, three days after her outburst of anger against Elena and they haven’t spoken since. Bonnie chose not to take sides and Caroline thinks it’s a wise decision. It’s no secret that the witch doesn’t like vampires anyway.

After her shower, Caroline brushes her teeth and slips into the clothes she chose to wear for the day. Once she is done, she looks at the mirror and she tries to tidy her hair.

 

“You look just fine,” a voice says.

 

Caroline spins on her heels and stifles a scream.

 

“What the—Stefan?”

“Hi.”

“You’re back!”

 

He smiles widely at her genuinely happy expression. Then she rushes towards him and hugs him tightly.

 

“Oh I missed you!”

“I missed you too.”

 

She lets go of him and smacks the back of his head.

 

“Aouch!”

“That was for scaring me!”

 

Stefan laughs as he rubs his head. Caroline takes his other hand and makes him sit on her bed.

 

“Okay, where were you? Why did you leave without telling me?”

“Calm down Caroline, you’re starting to hyperventilate.”

 

The blonde vampire takes a deep breath and nods.

 

“Okay. Okay. I’m listening.”

“I was nowhere in particular. I traveled all the way down to the ocean and then I drove back here. I left in a hurry, I didn’t tell anyone.”

“But why?”

“Because I couldn’t stand to see Elena and Damon together. Because it hurt too much.”

“Yeah, I understand. I don’t know if they’re together, though. I feel like… I feel like Elena’s trying but Damon’s a little reluctant.”

“Really? Well, I guess I’ll be the one to tell him that it’s okay to give in.”

“What? No! You are Elena’s soul mate, not Damon!”

 

Stefan sighs. He knows he’ll have to tell the truth about Katherine, and that Caroline will react badly. No one in town is very fond of the older doppelgänger.

 

“During the time that I was away, I… I reconsidered my feelings for Elena. I forced myself to forget what we’ve lived. I moved on, Caroline. It took me some time, but I buried what we had. I’m not in love with her anymore.”

“What? You’ve been gone for what, two months? You don’t forget your true love in two months!”

“No, you don’t. I never forgot my true love.”

 

Caroline looks at him incredulously.

 

“I’m sorry; you lost me. I don’t get it.”

“All this time, I was in denial of my feelings for someone else. A woman that I loved a long time ago. A person who hurt me, who left me, but who never stopped loving me.”

 

Realization of who he’s talking about dawns on Caroline’s face.

 

“Katherine…”

 

When Stefan remains silent, Caroline gets up and throws her hands up in the air dramatically.

 

“Katherine! No fucking way! Come on, Stefan! Seriously?”

“Caroline—“

“No! She’s… almost worse than Damon!”

“You’re overreacting. They’re not bad—“

“Not bad? She _killed_ me! She’s the reason I’m a vampire! I did nothing to her!”

“I know, I know. I didn’t forget that. We all did bad things that we regret. I’ve spent almost two months with her and I learnt more about her than I ever did in 1864. She helped me, okay? She had no reason to, after the way I treated her. But she did.”

“You were with her this entire time?”

“Yes.”

“Are you two… together?”

“No.”

 

A heavy silence sets in. Stefan waits for Caroline to calm down, and she doesn’t look like she’s going to do that.

 

“Okay, you know what? I’m gonna go to class and pretend like I didn’t hear what I’ve just heard. We’ll talk about it later.”

“Don’t be like that, please. Don’t make me feel guilty for something I have no control over.”

“How do you know she’s not manipulating you, huh? She’s selfish, she wants you, she has you and then she’ll discard you like you’re just a piece of trash!”

“But it’s my decision, Caroline. I need my best friend to support me and to be okay with it.”

 

His words seem to soothe her a little. He gets up and she lets him hug her.

 

“I don’t want to see you hurt, again,” she mumbles into his chest.

“I promise you I won’t. We’re not even together and she didn’t try anything with me. Yet. She told me she had feelings for me. I already knew that, but just like you I doubted that they were real.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“The fact that she stayed with me and she helped me get over my heartache. She helped me get my bloodlust under control.”

 

Caroline steps back and looks at him, shocked.

 

“You… You’re on human blood?”

“Yes,” he admits uneasily.

“And you don’t feel like going all Ripper?”

“No. I feel fine. It’s been a while since I’ve felt that good, actually.”

“Oh my… You really are happy,” she says as she notices for the first time the way he’s standing, the clothes he’s wearing, and the thin smile that never leaves his face. “You are wearing a forest green shirt. I’ve never seen you wear green. Even your hair seems brighter!”

 

Stefan bursts out laughing at her last comment and Caroline thinks it’s a beautiful—and rare—sight.

 

“Look, I’m really late for class. But my mom is working tonight, so maybe you could come over and we’ll cook something and eat in front of TV and talk and everything.”

“Okay. Sure. I’d love that.”

“See you, then!”

 

She plants a kiss on his cheek and she walks out of her room quickly. A minute later, Stefan hears her car leaving the driveway. Carefully, he peaks outside to see if there’s anyone around the house. But the street is empty so he slams the door behind him and hurries back to the place he’s staying at. Katherine must be waiting for him.


	10. Chapter 10

It takes Caroline a few days to wrap her head around the fact that Stefan has feelings for Katherine and that he really seems over Elena. Many times she tries to dissuade him to have a relationship with Katherine, and each of these times he tells her that he knows that things will be different this time. They hang out a lot, but never where they could be seen. Caroline knows that Elena and Bonnie are wondering where she’s disappearing every day after school. She still hasn’t spoken to Elena since she threw in her face that Damon was wrong for her. Speaking of Damon, she hasn’t seen him a lot lately. He hangs out with Elena and she’s pretty sure that they are secretly dating. Bonnie won’t say a thing about it, but there are days when Elena comes to school with that “just fucked” look.

 

“Caroline.”

 

The blonde vampire turns round and stops walking down the street when she hears her name. But she doesn’t see anyone.

 

“Caroline, up here.”

 

It’s barely a whisper but her vampire skills allow her to hear it and she looks up only to find Stefan sitting in a tree above her. She would laugh if there wasn’t anyone around.

 

“What are you doing, Stefan? It’s broad daylight. Couldn’t you just give me a call?”

“Oh I was hungry. Plus, we’re getting a bit restless in that house. I swear Katherine’s driving me crazy.”

“Still haven’t had super vampire sex?”

“No,” he says, clearly frustrated.

“Well, what can I do for you?”

“I’ve heard that Klaus is out of town, is it true?”

 

Caroline’s smile fades at the mention of the hybrid’s name. He keeps trying to ask for a second date and she keeps politely telling him to fuck off, but he won’t budge. It has taken a toll on her relationship with Tyler. Lately, they don’t see each other very often. Both are busy doing their own thing.

 

“Yes, it’s true. He left this morning and he told me that he wouldn’t be back for weeks. Something about the cure.”

“Great.”

“Why?”

“I think it’s time for us to confront Damon and Elena.”

“Wait, Stefan! Before you do that, there’s something I have to tell you. It’s just a theory but…”

“What is it?”

“I talked to Tyler about it and he agrees that it is possible… I think Elena’s sired to Damon.”

 

__

 

Stefan pushes the entrance door of the house a while later, his mind full of Caroline’s theories. Katherine is not in the living-room or in the kitchen so he goes up the stairs. The water is running in the bathroom; she’s probably having a shower. Stefan tries really hard not to think of Katherine in the shower. It’s like he can’t control his thoughts now. His mind is always filled with images of her. It doesn’t help that she enjoys parading in the house with very little clothing. When he hears that the water has stopped, Stefan knocks once on the door.

 

“Katherine?”

 

There are a few seconds of silence and then the door unlocks. Stefan’s jaw almost hits the floor as his eyes take in Katherine’s body wrapped in a small towel. Clearly she knew that he would react like that because she wears her trademark smirk on her face.

 

“See something you like, Salvatore?”

 

He forces himself to focus and clears his throat.

 

“Get dressed, we’re going home.”

“What?”

 

The game is over. Katherine follows Stefan as he walks toward the bedroom.

 

“What do you mean we’re going home?”

“It’s time for closure. I’ve had enough.”

“But Klaus—“

“Is out of town. We can leave before he comes back.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

 

Katherine watches him for a few seconds, then she nods and returns to the bathroom to get dressed. When she comes back in the bedroom, Stefan is feeding from a blood bag.

 

“Care to share?”

 

He hands it over to her without a word.

 

“Thanks. So, you’re sure you want me to come with you? It could—“

“Yes, you’re coming with me. Let’s go.”

 

He takes her by the hand and Katherine barely has the time to throw the blood bag on a table downstairs before they’re out of the house.

 

__

 

Damon is at the boarding house with Elena and they’re drinking in the living-room while listening to music when the entrance door opens. At first, they don’t notice Stefan leaning against the wall. Katherine is nowhere in sight but Stefan knows she’s just waiting to make her entrance. He has to clear his throat so that his brother finally looks up and sees him. As if he had been burnt, Damon suddenly pulls away from Elena who was in his arms. Confused, the young vampire glares at Damon but she quickly follows his glance and she turns her head toward Stefan as well. Stefan tries to ignore the small pang in his chest at the sight of his ex-girlfriend in his brother’s arms. Even though he knows that his feelings for Elena are gone, it still hurts when he thinks about how they used to be together.

 

“Stefan,” she whispers.

“You’re back,” Damon adds.

“Looks like I am.”

 

Stefan keeps his tone cold and detached. He is not pleased to see how things have turned out between the three of them. Damon takes a tentative step towards him.

 

“I see things are pretty cozy between the two of you. How long have you been sleeping together? Did you even wait a whole day before jumping in bed with each other, hmm?”

 

He shouldn’t have taken human blood before coming. It was a mistake. Stefan realizes how unfair he’s being but he can’t help feeling bitter.

 

“Stefan…” Damon begins.

“No, it’s okay. I actually came to talk to you, Damon. Alone.”

 

Damon nods and follows Stefan outside. Elena takes that time to regain her composure. There is something inside of her that has awoken when she saw Stefan and she’s not sure to understand what it is.

 

“Okay, what is it?”

“I want you to ask Elena to drink from a blood bag.”

“What? She can’t! Her body rejects it! Why would I do that?”

 

Stefan sighs and wishes he didn’t have to say what he’s about to say.

 

“I’ve had some echoes about Elena’s strange behavior. I’ve heard some theories and I’d like to see if they happen to be true.”

“Spill it, Stefan.”

“Elena is sired to you, Damon.”

 

__

 

After long minutes of arguing and threatening each other, Damon and Stefan walk back into the living-room. They find Elena sitting on the couch, biting nervously her fingernails. She stands up as soon as she sees them enter the room.

 

“Hey Stef, I know you aren’t on human blood, but I feel a bit hungry so…”

“Actually, pour me a bit from a bag.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“Okay… Elena, why don’t you join us? I know it didn’t go well last time but now that you’ve been a vampire for a few months, I’d be happy to see you try again.”

“You think so?” She asks hesitantly.

 

He smiles at her and, using his vampire speed, he grabs two blood bags from the fridge and comes back. He hands out a glass to Stefan and takes another one for himself. Then, he gives the second blood bag to Elena.

 

“Go ahead,” he says with a smile. “I’m sure your body will keep it down this time.”

 

And it does. After a few seconds, Elena smiles when she doesn’t feel like she’s going to throw up. Damon’s face crumples and Stefan frowns. Caroline and Tyler were right.

 

“I can drink from the bags! I don’t have to hurt people anymore!” Elena says happily.

 

She hugs Damon and immediately steps back as if remembering that Stefan is also in the room. Then she notices how unhappy they both look and her brown eyes go back and forth between the two brothers.

 

“What?”

 

When Damon and Stefan appear to be at a loss of words to explain the situation to her, Katherine struts into the room and stands beside Stefan. Damon and Elena don’t react at first, like they haven’t seen her yet.

 

“Isn’t it obvious? You’ve become Damon’s little lapdog, Elena. You’re sired to him.”

 

__

 

Chaos ensues. Elena wants explanations; Damon wants to know what Katherine is doing here; Stefan tries to keep Katherine’s hands off of him, and Katherine keeps silent. Finally, Stefan manages to calm everybody and make them sit on the couch. Katherine is by his side and they’re facing Damon and Elena.

 

“I think we all have a lot of explaining to do,” Stefan begins to say. “I left town with Katherine a couple of months ago.”

“You were with _her_ all this time?” Elena spits with a disgusted face.

 

Katherine only smirks and Stefan ignores her comment.

 

“While we were away, Katherine helped me take control of my blood lust, which is why I asked you to share your blood bag with me, Damon. I haven’t drunk animal blood for a month and a half now.”

“Maybe we could skip all these things that they don’t need to know and get right to the point,” Katherine intervenes. “I mean, Elena is sired to Damon, hello?”

 

On the outside, Katherine seems confident and even mocking, but it’s a whole other story in her mind. There is something that they don’t know about her. And she will have to tell them.

 

“Yes, about that… Caroline and Tyler have been observing you for weeks and they’ve come to the conclusion that Elena might be sired to you, Damon.”

“That’s nonsense! Damon, tell them!”

 

But Damon looks down at his hands and refuses to meet Elena’s gaze.

 

“You couldn’t drink from a blood bag, remember? Now you can. Caroline told me some other things about you practically always agreeing with Damon. And… your feelings about him have been magnified when you turned, but your feelings for me haven’t. The only reason to that is because you’re sired to him.”

“What I feel for Damon is not due to a sire bond.”

“No, it’s not,” Katherine finally says much to everyone’s surprise.

 

She gets up and turns her back on the other three.

 

“The sire bond can happen when the blood turning a human is the blood of the vampire this human has feelings for. At this point, I believe that if it had been Stefan’s blood in Elena’s system when you turned, you might as well have been sired to him.”

“Wait, how do you know all that?” Stefan asks.

 

Katherine’s eyes meet Damon’s for a brief second and she knows that the elder brother has understood what she means.

 

“I know it because it happened to me. In 1864. Damon was sired to me.”


	11. Chapter 11

Stefan watches Katherine as she waits for someone to ask the first question. Why she never said anything to them before, it’s a mystery. How they could not realize it before is another mystery. It makes sense. It makes perfect sense. Damon was crazy about Katherine and he wanted her to turn him. He died with her blood in his system, and he spent one hundred and forty-five years looking for her, chasing after her all over the world.

 

“How come I’m not sired to you anymore?” Damon asks.

“Remember when I came back to Mystic Falls? When we were making out? I told you that I had never loved you. That it was always Stefan.”

 

Stefan’s hands curl into fists when he hears that Katherine and Damon were doing it behind his back. The thought of her with someone else is unbearable. His eyes meet Elena’s and Stefan knows that she saw his reaction.

 

“The only way to break a sire bond,” Katherine continues, “is to leave the person who’s sired to you. To break their heart. To make them forget you. They have no other choice but to do it because they’re still bonded to you when you order them to do that.”

 

Elena takes Damon’s hand but he refuses to look at her. Katherine can see the inner conflict reflected in his eyes. Damon was never good at hiding his emotions, despite what he thinks.

 

“You should take a little time to think about it, Damon.”

“What? No, there’s nothing to think about!” Elena interjects. “We are together.”

 

Stefan gets up and, after one last look, he speeds out of the room. Katherine glares at Elena and speeds after him.

 

“Stefan, wait!”

“Leave me alone, Katherine. I need some air.”

“Is this about what Elena just said? That she and Damon are together? You knew that already.”

 

He stops walking and she almost bumps into him.

 

“It is different to hear it being confirmed. It hurts.”

 

Katherine places a comforting hand on his shoulder but it doesn’t help him calm down. His emotions are all over the place and Stefan knows that it will take time for him to handle correctly the consequences of being on human blood again. He shrugs her hand off and walks away. This time, Katherine does not try to stop him.

 

__

 

“Could you be any more stupid?” Katherine asks angrily when she walks back into the living-room, where Damon and Elena are standing still.

“Don’t yell at her,” Damon answers while stepping protectively in front of Elena.

 

Katherine laughs a bitter laugh.

 

“Well isn’t that cute, Damon protecting his little strumpet of a girlfriend. Don’t forget that I’m way stronger than the both of you. You’re no match, Damon. I’m out of here. I have a man to console. Think about what you’re gonna do next!” She adds as she disappears from their sight.

 

Once they are alone, Damon turns to Elena and what she can read in his eyes makes her reach for his hand.

 

“Damon, don’t.”

“Elena…”

“We’re happy. Can’t we just stay that way?”

“And then what? I tell you to run naked in the streets and you do it? What kind of relationship is that, Elena? I can’t…”

“You wouldn’t tell me to do this.”

“But it’s not the point, here. You are sired to me. We don’t know what can happen. We don’t even know if you love me because of this sire bond.”

“Katherine said—“

“I don’t care what she said. I’m sorry. I need to be sure that you want to be in this relationship, not that you’re forced into it.”

“I had feelings for you before I turned.”

“Yes, just like you had feelings for Stefan, which by the way, totally disappeared when you turned. Do you think it’s normal? They should’ve been magnified, Elena. But they disappeared, because you’re sired to me.”

 

Damon can feel his heart breaking all over again. Of course, something like this would happen to him. He finally had the girl, and it turned out that her feelings had been corrupted by some sire bond crap. Typical.

 

“Damon please…”

“I’m sorry. I love you, Elena. But you need to forget about us. You need to forget what we have. I’ll only be happy if you forget that you ever had feelings for me.”

 

He tries his hardest not to cry, but there’s a lone tear that runs down his cheek, and Elena’s thumb gently wipes it away.

 

“I can’t forget you, Damon. I don’t want to.”

“I don’t care what you want. That’s what I want. I’m the selfish brother, remember?”

 

Damon takes a deep breath. He remembers how crushed he was when Katherine had told him that she had never loved him. He now knows that it had been a lie, but at the time his world had ended with her words. He knows he’s going to break Elena. He knows that she’ll always hate him for that, but for once, Damon feels like doing the right thing is the only option.

 

“It won’t take long to forget about you, Elena. I can have anyone I want. I wanted you, I had you, and it was fun while it lasted. But now, this is just the proof that we’re not made for each other. Take your things and leave. I never want to see you again.”

 

Immediately after having said those horrible words, Damon turns from her and he tries his hardest to not look at her. He can feel that she hasn’t moved an inch, probably too shocked by what has just happened. Finally, after what seems to be an hour, Damon turns back towards her, only to find out that he’s alone. Elena’s gone.

 

__

 

Katherine finds Stefan sitting on a bench in the park. It’s getting late and there are close to nobody around them. People know that bad things happen in the neighborhood, they’re starting to realize it. It’s about time, she thinks. Quietly, she approaches Stefan and sits beside him. She doesn’t say a word, doesn’t try to touch him.

 

After a while, it’s finally Stefan who makes the first move. He closes the distance between them and takes her hand in his. She lets him do it. She still doesn’t offer any words and he’s grateful. He’s not sure what he would say anyway. Her presence alone is comforting. She squeezes his hand and lets her head rest on his right shoulder. Stefan kisses the top of her head.

 

“What happened after I left?”

“Damon freed Elena from the bond. She seemed pretty shaken. I didn’t think he would, to be honest. Looks like he really wanted to do the right thing for once.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For running away. My reaction was childish, and I know it must’ve hurt you to see me so upset about my ex.”

“But I understand. I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at this little idiot of a doppelgänger.”

 

Stefan smiles and stands up, bringing Katherine up with him.

 

“Thank you, for sticking with me.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” she answers truthfully.

 

His blue-green eyes never leave hers as he steps into her personal space.

 

“I never thought I’d say that but… I need you, Katherine. I need you in my everyday life. Don’t ever leave me.”

“I’ll be by your side as long as you want me.”

 

Stefan feels a warmth in his heart that he hasn’t felt in quite a while. He knows what it means. This is love. Slowly, he leans in until his lips brush against Katherine’s. She’s closed her eyes and he does the same. The next moment is pure rapture for both of them. It’s like a fire has just ignited within them. Stefan puts his arms around her waist as he crashes his lips onto hers with passion. When Katherine’s hands tangle in his hair, Stefan is pretty sure that he’s never been so happy in his entire existence. This has to be a dream.


	12. Chapter 12

Katherine leaves Stefan early in the morning to find the woman who owns the house and tell her that she can go back to her routine. When the vampire goes back to the house; Stefan has already packed their things and he’s ready to move out.

 

“So, which hotel are we staying in?”

“Whichever you want,” Stefan replied.

 

Since he woke up this morning, Stefan has had a smile on his lips. Last night has changed his opinion on Katherine even more. He had expected her to jump on him as soon as the door would be closed but she had simply led him to the bedroom and made him sit on the bed. Slowly, she had taken off both his clothes and her own until they were only in their underwear. Stefan had watched patiently and silently. But then, Katherine had just slipped under the covers and snuggled up against him. They had fallen asleep in each other’s arms, like they had been doing for the past few weeks, but something had changed. Something was different last night. Their relationship has evolved. Seeing how Katherine looks at him right now, Stefan knows she must have fought her inner desires because it’s a real fire that burns in her eyes.

 

“I want one with a king sized bed.”

 

He chuckles and picks up their bags.

 

“Okay, let’s go. I know where we’re going.”

 

__

 

It’s later that same day that Stefan receives a call from Elena while he’s playing pool at the Grill with Caroline. For good reasons, Katherine still stays out of sight during the day. When Stefan feels his phone vibrating in his pocket, he pulls it out and checks the ID. Elena’s name appears on the screen.

 

“Who is it?” Caroline asks as Stefan suddenly stops playing.

“No one, a mistake,” Stefan replies easily as he refuses the call and slips the phone back into his pocket.

 

Caroline looks suspicious for a few seconds but he smiles at her so she chooses to forget about it.

 

“So, tell me about Katherine.”

“What do you wanna know?”

“Well, what’s going on between you two?”

 

Stefan sighs and he stretches before answering.

 

“I don’t really know where we stand. There is this complicity between us, and we were never exactly friends, it’s always been more than that. Last night, we—“

“You did it?”

“No, if you’d let me finish you’d already know.”

“Okay, shutting up right now!”

“We kissed.”

 

Caroline grins like an idiot at her friend’s obvious happiness, and Stefan actually has to punch her arm to make her stop.

 

“You’re mocking me,” he accuses her.

“Not at all! It’s just… I’ve never seen you so happy. It looks good on you. I mean, Broody Stefan is all sexy and mysterious; but Happy Stefan is so much more fun!”

 

The older vampire finally cracks a smile and he throws one arm around Caroline’s shoulders.

 

“Come on, let’s have a drink. Then maybe I’ll take you to our hotel and you’ll have a talk with Katherine.”

“This will be the part when I threaten to stake her if she does anything to hurt you?”

“Well, you can try to do that and we’ll see how she responds to your threats.”

“But seriously though, I’ll kick her ass if she breaks your heart.”

“Thanks, I appreciate.”

 

It’s Matt who’s working behind the counter and he pours them two shots of random liquor. The Mystic Grill is crowded because it’s a Saturday night and that there is a band playing later that night.

 

“Are you guys staying for the concert tonight?”

 

Stefan and Caroline share a look and then they both shake their head no.

 

“We’ve got a lot of catching up to do, so we’ll head someplace quiet.”

“Okay, well, have a good night.”

“Thanks, you too.”

“Yeah, I have a feeling it’s gonna be fun tonight,” Matt answers ironically but with a small smile.

 

The two vampires talk with him for another ten minutes before Matt has to prepare the tables for the night. Damon appears at the door and as soon as Caroline spots him, she gets up. Stefan looks at her surprisingly.

 

“C’mon, I wanna go now.”

“Why?”

“Damon’s here.”

 

Stefan wants to argue, but if he’s honest with himself he doesn’t really want to talk to his brother right now. Together, they walk past Damon, toward the exit. The elder Salvatore doesn’t even try to stop them.

 

__

 

Stefan brings Caroline to the hotel because she insists on talking to Katherine. When he opens the door of their room, Stefan calls Katherine’s name and she appears in front of them.

 

“Well, well, look who’s here.”

 

Stefan’s glare prevents her from adding a snarky comment. Instead, Katherine fakes a smile and steps aside to let Caroline in. The blonde vampire really wants a fresh start with her best friend’s girlfriend so she smiles back.

 

“Hello Katherine.”

 

Silently, Stefan hopes that the night won’t end up in disaster.

 

__

 

They talk for hours without realizing it. The beginning is awkward, and Stefan is the one who leads the conversations, but after a few glasses of alcohol everything seems to get better. To his surprise—and Caroline’s too—Katherine apologizes for turning Caroline into a vampire. He didn’t expect her to ever do that so he’s pleased. Maybe they can really get that fresh start. Caroline, to her credit, accepts the apology and tells her that what’s done is done and that there’s no need to fight over it anymore.

 

Around midnight, Stefan’s phone starts vibrating again. He ignores it the first times, but when Katherine gives him a look at the fourth time, Stefan understands that he has to pick up. He excuses himself and leaves the hotel room. He’s confident now that no one will end up dead while he’s gone.

 

__

 

“Hello?”

“Hey, Stefan. It’s me.”

“What do you want, Elena?”

“Can I… Could we talk?”

 

He sighs. He knew that she would want to talk to him eventually.

 

“Stefan, please.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll come over to your house. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“Thank you.”

 

He hangs up and wonders if he should tell Caroline and Katherine where he’s going. That probably isn’t the best option, so instead he listens for a few seconds to their conversation and when he hears that they’re talking about Klaus, Stefan decides that it’s safe to leave now. With luck he can come back before they even realize that he’s gone.


	13. Chapter 13

The house hasn’t changed a bit since he last came here. Stefan pushes the door open, and he walks in.

 

“Elena?” He calls.

“Hey. Thank you for coming,” she says as she appears in front of him.

“You’re alone? Where’s Jeremy?”

“He’s staying with Matt. We think it’s better if he’s not around vampires.”

 

Stefan wonders if by “we” she means Damon and her. They sit in the living-room. Elena asks him if he wants anything to drink and he declines politely.

 

“I don’t have a lot of time. Why aren’t you with Damon?”

“Damon broke the sire bond. I don’t know where he is. He said he doesn’t want to see me.”

“He doesn’t mean that. He loves you.”

“Why do you act like this doesn’t even bother you?” She asks. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Stefan. I realize now that I’ve made a mistake.”

“A mistake?”

 

Stefan isn’t sure what she means by that. Her eyes are shining with sudden tears.

 

“Elena, what’s wrong?”

“What have I done, Stefan? Why did I ever let you go? Was it because of the sire bond?”

 

She moves closer to him and his body stiffens. He doesn’t feel comfortable and he doesn’t really know why. This is Elena, his ex-girlfriend. They’ve been much closer than that.

 

“Elena… What do you want from me?”

“I want a second chance, Stefan. I want us to be together again. When Damon broke the sire bond, my feelings for you came back more intensely than ever. I love you. It was always you, Stefan.”

 

She reaches for his hand and Stefan immediately stands up and backs away from her. She looks surprised.

 

“Are you crazy? Do you really think I want us to get back together? You _promised_ me, Elena, that you would never do anything with Damon. But you fell for him anyway. You love him. And that’s not due to the sire bond. You heard what Katherine said. You had feelings for him before turning.”

“Yes, that’s true. But without the sire bond I would never have acted upon these feelings.”

“Well it’s too late. I’m sorry but I don’t love you anymore, Elena.”

 

They stare at each other intensely. In that moment, Stefan realizes that he’s really over Elena. In his mind, there are pictures of Katherine, and only Katherine. He remembers their night on the balcony of the hotel room. He remembers her lips on his the previous night in the park. In front of him, the girl he was claiming to be in love with forever just three months ago. Oh, how things change.

 

“You don’t love me anymore?”

“No.”

“When did you stop loving me?”

“Elena—“

“When!”

 

He sighs and tries to think of an answer to give her.

 

“I guess the remaining of my love for you disappeared when you said you and Damon were together.”

“So… Just yesterday?”

 

She seems clearly upset.

 

“You can’t stop loving someone in a day.”

“I didn’t. I guess I was trying to ignore what my heart had been telling me for a while. But when I broke up with you, Elena… I knew it would be definitive. It hurt me too much. I knew I’d never be able to get over the fact that you loved Damon too.”

“But we can try to… to be friends, and maybe with time…”

“I’m sorry. I’m with somebody else.”

 

Elena frowns and her face shows signs of anger, and maybe jealousy.

 

“You’re with somebody else? I thought you’d be trying to get me back! We were supposed to be together forever.”

“So much has happened while I was away…”

“Is it Katherine?”

“Yes,” Stefan answers. There is no point in trying to hide it.

“I can’t believe it.”

 

The young woman runs her hands through her hair and she turns her back to Stefan. He waits silently for the outburst he knows will be coming in a few seconds. He doesn’t move, doesn’t offer any words of comfort. Stefan’s dark side believes that Elena deserves the suffering.

 

“How could you?!” She yells as she turns to look at him. “Here I was, thinking that maybe we had a chance of finding our way back to each other and you tell me you’re dating that whore! She probably forced herself on you as soon as she heard you were single!”

“Well, you certainly didn’t wait to throw yourself at Damon as soon as we were broken up.”

“What?”

“What, you thought I wouldn’t know? I’ve been around a long time, Elena. I know people in this town you and Damon have never even met. It wasn’t hard to ask them to keep an eye on you. So maybe Caroline and Bonnie, or Jeremy haven’t noticed you sneaking out of my house early in the morning for the past few months, but other people certainly did.”

 

Her mouth is agape, her eyes wide opened. Stefan has hidden this secret from everyone, included Katherine. He knew what was happening between Damon and Elena long before Caroline clued him in.

 

“That’s right; I know you’ve been screwing my own brother this whole time. And you think I’d want to get back with you?”

“But I was sired to him—“

“So what? Did he tell you to hop in bed with him? My brother can be an ass but I doubt he’d do that. Now if you have nothing else to add, I’d like to go back to my girlfriend.”

 

Elena uses her vampire speed to block his way to the door.

 

“Don’t be like this, Stefan. We’ve spent so many great moments together. We could do that again. I could forget that you tried to hurt me by dating Katherine, and you could forgive me for being with Damon.”

“Is that what you think? You think I’m with Katherine just to get back at you for sleeping with Damon? You are out of your mind. As for forgiving you, that’s never gonna happen. Now get out of my way.”

 

He shoves her aside, unable to keep his cool. Her words simply made him angry. He slams the door behind him but he hears Elena open it again not even a second later. She’s going after him. Stefan doesn’t look back when she calls his name and he does not stop until he reaches his car.

 

“Stefan!” Elena calls as she grabs his arm.

“Let me go.” He orders through gritted teeth.

 

But she doesn’t let go. On the contrary, she closes the distance between them and looks up into his eyes. Their lips are centimeters apart and Stefan is paralyzed. Her eyes are exactly like Katherine’s and he feels like he’s compelled to stay still. That is, until someone tackles Elena to the ground. Stefan blinks and he looks down. At his feet, Katherine is trying to strangle Elena, and the young doppelganger fights back as well as she can.

 

“Katherine!” Stefan yells.

 

But by the time he reaches down to pull her off of Elena, Katherine has snapped Elena’s neck. The vampire is lifeless on the ground.

 

“What did you do?”

“I taught her a lesson.” Katherine spits.

“But why?”

“She was going to kiss you!”

 

Katherine looks almost frightening with that crazy sparkle in her eyes.

 

“She… She was not,” Stefan says, confused.

 

Has Elena been trying to kiss him?

 

“And how are you even here?”

“You think I wouldn’t know where to find you? It wasn’t hard to guess who the person that kept trying to call you was.”

“Did you have to kill her?”

“Oh please, it’s not like she’s not coming back.”

 

Stefan tries to calm Katherine down and he runs his hands up and down her arms.

 

“It’s okay, let me bring her inside her house and then I’ll come back to you and we’ll go back to our hotel. Where’s Caroline?”

“She left after she received a call from the wolf.”

“Tyler,” he corrects her.

“Whatever. Dump her on her couch and hurry. I’ll be waiting in the car.”

 

Stefan does as he’s told and picks up Elena’s body in his arms. She’s not heavy; she never was. He walks back into the house and gently lays her down on the couch. He brushes a stray of hair from her face and looks at her for a few seconds. They’ve shared a lot together. And their love was pure and real. It was very different from what he had known with Katherine. Katherine had made him feel different. She had known how to push his buttons, how to drive him crazy. And he had loved her for that. He still loves her for the same reasons and so much more. Stefan shakes his head and stands up from his crouching position. He’s about to leave when he feels fingers brushing against his hand. Elena’s awake already. He looks at her silently and he doesn’t make a move when he sees the first tear rolling down on her cheek.

 

“I’m sorry,” she whispers.

 

Three words that convey much more than a simple apology. It’s a goodbye. Stefan knows that Elena understands now that she lost him. He nods, wordlessly, and simply walks away. This time, she doesn’t try to hold him back.

 

__

 

They don’t speak on their way back to the hotel. Katherine is still fuming and Stefan is incapable of formulating a sentence. He’s just realized that he’s very much in love with Katherine. That the thought of dating someone else is far from his mind. He didn’t think it would happen so fast, and he now questions if he ever fell out of love with her. Maybe he had buried these feelings deep within him and they had simply resurfaced.

 

He parks the car in front of the hotel and they get inside quickly. Stefan follows Katherine in the elevator. Gently, he reaches for her hand and he is relieved when she doesn’t push him away. Together, they enter their room and Stefan barely has the time to switch on the light before he finds himself pinned against the door.

 

“You. Are. Mine.” Katherine growls. “Do you understand? If she ever does so much as looking at you the wrong way, she’ll get a stake through her heart.”

“I love you,” is all Stefan finds to answer.

 

Katherine loosens her grip on his shirt and steps back in shock. Her lips are slightly moving as if she wants to say something but no words come out of her mouth. Stefan smiles at her and closes the space between them.

 

“I love you, Katerina Petrova. And only you.”

 

The fire of jealousy burning in Katherine’s eyes turns into something darker and more intense that Stefan has no problem to identify. This is pure lust. So he leans in and he kisses her forcefully. This time, when Katherine flattens Stefan against the door, it is not to make threats but to make love.


	14. Chapter 14

“You two totally did it!” Caroline squeals excitedly when she opens her door to find Stefan and Katherine standing on her porch.

 

They share a confused look as Caroline claps her hands happily.

 

“I knew it was only a matter of time! So, what happened?” She asks them as she ushers them inside.

 

Stefan’s hand is holding Katherine’s tightly. It’s the first time they actually go out together during the day. They still avoid places where Katherine could be mistaken for Elena, since everybody knows that Stefan and Elena are no longer dating. After waking up this morning, Stefan and Katherine talked about leaving Mystic Falls. They still don’t know where they would go, but they need to leave anyway because Klaus will be back. Then Stefan decided to break the news to Caroline.

 

“Listen, Caroline, we came here to tell you something.”

“What is it? What about yesterday? Where were you?”

“I… Elena wanted to talk to me.”

“She did?”

“Yeah. We’ve cleared things up. I told her we’d never get back together.”

“Oh.”

 

The blonde vampire sits on the couch and she invites her friends to do the same. She has decided to refer to Katherine as a friend too, now. It’s easier that way. Plus, it seems like the Petrova doppelganger really has changed and Stefan seems genuinely happy with her.

 

“We came here to tell you that we’ll be leaving soon.”

“Wait… Why? Mystic Falls is your home…”

“There are too many risks for Katherine here. But… I was thinking that maybe you could come with us, if you want to.”

 

Caroline glances at Katherine who just shrugs.

 

“Stefan… Thank you for thinking about me but I can’t leave. My mother’s here. So are my friends. My life is here. Maybe… Maybe in a few decades I’ll join you.”

 

Stefan nods understandingly.

 

“Of course. Okay.”

“Okay. So… Let’s talk about something else! Klaus isn’t coming back for another two weeks at least, last I’ve heard he was in Roma. We should go out tonight. Next town there’s a new club and it looks awesome!”

“I’m in,” Katherine answers immediately.

 

Stefan smiles and agrees. He didn’t imagine that it would be so easy for Caroline and Katherine to get along but it seems like their personalities can be pretty similar sometimes.

 

“Well, we’ll pick you up at eleven tonight.”

“Perfect.”

“I have someone I need to see,” Stefan says as he stands up.

“Is it Elena again?” Katherine asks abruptly.

“No,” he answers with a small smile.

 

The jealous tone of her voice is not lost on Stefan. He takes her hand and kisses it gently.

 

“I’m done with Elena. I’ll meet you back at the hotel. See you tonight, Caroline.”

“Yep! Definitely. Katherine, why don’t we do some online shopping? Plus, I need to know everything that’s happened between you two!”

 

Katherine is still unsure about what to do. On one hand she doesn’t want to let Stefan out of her sight for too long, but on the other hand she knows that she has to learn to trust people. So even though she’s very reluctant to let him go, she smiles at Caroline and accepts her invitation to stay. Only then does Stefan leave the house.

 

__

 

“Well, well, isn’t that my little brother!” Damon exclaims as Stefan enters the living-room.

 

Damon is lying down on the couch with a nearly empty bottle of bourbon in his hand.

 

“Are you too drunk to have a conversation with me?” Stefan asks calmly.

 

They’ve done this already, several times.

 

“I think I’m not drunk enough to speak with you, Stef.”

“Well too bad. Because I came here to talk to you and you’d better listen.”

“Oh, okay then.”

 

Damon sits up straight and stares at his brother. In his blue eyes, clouded by alcohol, Stefan can still discern the sadness and the hurt he must be feeling over losing Elena. It’s hard to miss the sarcastic tone in Damon’s voice as he adds:

 

“I’m all ears.”

 

Stefan takes a deep breath before starting.

 

“I hate you.”

“No news here.”

“I hate you because despite everything you did to screw with my head, you’re still my brother and I still need you in my life. I hate you because I can’t _hate_ you.”

“You’re losing me, Stefan, please remember that I’m not sober…”

“Shut up, Damon. What I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry about how things turned out between us recently. About Elena.”

“Oh well, I set her free so that she could choose with whom she wanted to be, and it appears that she chose you. Because it’s always you, Stefan!”

 

Damon gets up shakily and he sets the now empty bottle on the table before walking over to the chimney where a fire is burning.

 

“I told Elena that I didn’t want to get back with her. I’m with Katherine now.”

 

His last words earn a snort from his brother.

 

“Good for you, Stefan. Why did you come here, really? Why aren’t you with your _girlfriend_?”

“Because I wanted to check up on you. You’re not okay.”

“Of course I’m not! I was hoping that maybe, _maybe_ after I freed her from the bond, Elena would realize that she loved _me_ more than she loved you. But she didn’t. She doesn’t. She loves _you_!”

 

Stefan expected the outburst. He’s dealt countless times with Damon’s anger. Still, it hurts to see him in such pain.

 

“Damon… I’m going to leave, with Katherine. Elena has feelings for you. Without me in the picture she will let these feelings grow.”

“And I’ll always be the second choice! Perfect.”

“You don’t get it, Damon. She already loves you. She’s just very confused right now but I’m sure that she’ll come back to you eventually.”

 

The blue-eyed vampire remains silent.

 

“I’m sorry. There’s nothing else I can do.”

 

Stefan sighs as he receives no answer.

 

“I’m gonna go now. Just… Don’t do anything stupid, Damon.”

“Whatever.”

 

The younger brother hesitates a moment before he finally turns around and leaves the house. Damon will get better.

 

__

 

During the next two days, Stefan spends most of his time with either Katherine or Caroline. His blonde friend has given Katherine a fair warning about breaking his heart and his girlfriend has pretended to be intimidated. Obviously, Caroline was pleased that Katherine faked her reaction to her threats. It feels a little surreal that a few weeks ago only, she hated the Petrova doppelganger.

 

“C’mon Stefan, don’t just sit here when we’re dancing!”

 

He lets out a chuckle as Caroline takes his hand and forces him to get up. They’re currently at her place with Tyler for a little improvised party between the four of them. Caroline has talked to Tyler about Katherine. Even though she’s responsible for turning him into a werewolf, Tyler said that it didn’t matter anymore since he was now a hybrid and didn’t have to turn every full moon. He also told them that he’d be happy as long as he’s with Caroline. Stefan can’t believe that things are so easy. He knows that something will happen to ruin this.

 

As if on cue, the door swings open and a man is standing in the doorway with a smirk on his face.

 

“Well, well… You’re throwing a party and no one has thought of inviting me? I’m offended!”

 

Stefan stands up and instinctively steps in front of Katherine. Tyler takes Caroline’s hand in his.

 

“Klaus.”


	15. Chapter 15

Stefan’s only thought is for Katherine. He can feel her trembling behind him. Her hands are on his back and he can tell that her fingernails have gripped his shirt tightly. Caroline finally speaks up:

 

“And what are you doing here, Klaus?”

“Well I figured that my hybrids could very well take care of my business in Italy, so I’ve decided to come back here. See, I missed you too much, love.”

“If you don’t mind, I was having a little party here with my friends.”

“Stefan’s my friend, too. And Tyler’s my little hybrid, isn’t he? And I’m sure the lovely Elena won’t mind my being here. What’s going on between you two, by the way?” He adds, looking at Stefan.

 

Of course Klaus would think that Katherine is Elena. The first Petrova double isn’t even supposed to be here. That’s their chance to get out of this messed-up situation.

 

“We’ve decided to try and work on our relationship.”

“Oh, but this is fascinating,” Klaus says as he closes the door behind him and makes his way into the living-room. “So even after everything she put you through, you’re still willing to take her back?”

“That’s none of your concern. Elena, let’s go.”

 

Katherine grips Stefan’s hand and follows him as he walks towards the door.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Caroline. Tyler.”

“Bye,” Caroline mutters.

 

To Stefan, it sounds like a real goodbye. And it probably is, at least for a while.

 

__

 

Stefan isn’t pleased to leave Caroline and Tyler with Klaus but he has no other choice. His priority is Katherine. Once they’re out of the house, they climb into his car and he drives as fast as he can back to their hotel room. Now is the time to leave.

 

__

 

“I know that we hadn’t planned this, but we need to pack and leave tonight.”

“I know,” Katherine simply says as she follows him into the room.

 

It takes them less than fifteen minutes at full speed to throw their belongings into suitcases and bags and then carry them to the vehicle. As Katherine waits in the car, Stefan hurries to pay for the room and he joins her.

 

“Okay, I just need to tell Damon and then we’re good to go.”

“Can’t you just give him a call?”

 

Stefan looks at her and shakes his head.

 

“No. He’s my brother and he has to know.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

 

__

 

Damon is sleeping on the couch and he reeks of alcohol. Stefan and Katherine burst through the door and he barely stirs.

 

“Damon! Damon, wake up!” Stefan implores as he shakes his brother’s shoulders.

“Hmm… what is it, Stef?”

“Klaus is back in town. I’m leaving now—with Katherine.”

 

The blue-eyed vampire opens an eye and tries to sit up but his elbows can’t support him and he falls back to his previous position.

 

“Okay, bye.”

“No, you don’t understand. As long as Klaus will be here, I won’t come back. We don’t know how long he will stay in Mystic Falls, so that might be the last time I see you in a while.”

“Just let me sleep, okay? I’m drunk.”

“No, really?”

 

Stefan sighs and he gets up, giving up on trying talking to his brother. Katherine has been watching the exchange and she tugs at Stefan’s hand.

 

“C’mon Stefan, you’ll call him tomorrow.”

 

After one last glance at his brother, Stefan agrees to follow Katherine to the door.

 

“Did you leave it open?”

“What?”

“The door, did you leave it open when we came in?”

“No,” Katherine answers, confused.

 

The entrance door is wide opened in front of them.

 

“Someone’s in here.”

 

They stand still and try to listen to their surrounding but the only sound to reach their ears is the light snoring coming from Damon. Then Stefan picks up the scent. He knows this perfume. He’s inhaled it plenty of times.

 

“Elena…”

“What?”

“Elena’s here. Elena!” He calls out in hope to have an answer.

 

And the answer comes, but it’s not exactly what Stefan expected.

 

“Stefan…”

 

Stefan and Katherine startle as they spin on their heels. Elena is standing right in front of them and there’s blood on her shirt.

 

“What happened to you?”

“I…”

“I found her,” a voice says behind them.

 

Katherine’s blood freezes in her veins.

 

“Don’t even think of running, Katerina, or you’ll be dead before you leave the house.”

 

Stefan turns to face Klaus for the second time in less than an hour.

 

“Klaus—“

“I have to admit, you had me fooled, Stefan. I did not think for a second that Katerina would be stupid enough to ever set foot back in Mystic Falls but it seems like I was wrong. And you, my friend, tried to deceive me. I’m disappointed.”

“How did you—“

“Find out? Well, after I left Caroline’s I thought I’d pay a little visit to Mr. Gilbert and guess who opened the door?”

 

Stefan gives Elena a quick glance and then he refocuses on the Original hybrid.

 

“Why is she hurt?”

“Well, I thought she was Katerina, of course. I had just seen you with whom I presumed to be Elena. Turns out I staked the wrong doppelganger. I hope it didn’t hurt too much, darling,” he adds as he looks at Elena.

 

She stares at him until he shrugs and turns his attention to Katherine. Her feet are glued to the ground, her legs unable to move. The only thing she can feel is Stefan’s hand crushing hers. In the next room, Damon is still sound asleep, oblivious to the presence of the four vampires.

 

“But please, Stefan, update me. Obviously you’re no longer dating little miss Gilbert over there, or maybe you’re cheating on her. Which one is it, hmm?”

“It’s complicated.”

“I leave town for a few days and when I come back everything’s changed? I can’t believe that. Don’t force me to compel it out of you, Stefan.”

“Elena and I broke up. I left town. I ran into Katherine. We’ve spent time together.”

“And you’ve rekindled your flame. How romantic. What does the lovely Elena think of all this?” Klaus asks mockingly.

“Elena has lost the right to judge me when she slept with my brother,” Stefan answers right away.

“Stefan!”

“What? Am I wrong, did you not sleep with Damon?”

 

Elena remains silent and Klaus smirks.

 

“You know Stefan, it’s too bad that you’ve found your true love in Katerina, because I doubt that she’ll be living much longer.”

“Klaus, don’t. Don’t hurt her. You’ve killed her family, you got your revenge hundreds of years ago. Let it go.”

 

The hybrid chuckles and he places a hand on Stefan’s shoulder. Katherine steps back.

 

“You, my friend, are really driven by love.”

“And you’re driven by hatred. It will get you nowhere.”

“It got me where I am now. I’m the most powerful creature on Earth, I can do whatever I want.”

“Look around you, Klaus. You’re alone. You might be what you say you are, but you’re alone. Your family hates you. You have no real friends.”

“You were my friend once, Ripper,” Klaus objects.

 

The smirk has vanished from his face, and there’s anger burning in his eyes.

 

“Yes I was, back when I was a sadistic killer with no emotions. Not anymore. But I could learn not to hate you. If you let us go and if you promise to never go after Katherine. Maybe then I could think of being a little friendlier with you.”

“And what exactly makes you think that you are in a position to make any demands?”

“I don’t know. Tell me, why do you keep coming back here, hmm? What is it about Mystic Falls that you can’t stay away even if you hate this town?”

 

For a fraction of second, Klaus seems thrown off-balance but he quickly regains his composure.

 

“I have an idea. I’ll give you two a head start. You have an hour. Then I’ll come after you, and it’d be better for Katerina if I don’t find you.”

 

Elena steps closer to Stefan and Katherine stares at her menacingly.

 

“Stefan, you can’t leave.”

 

He turns to look at her.

 

“Take care of Damon, please. Don’t let him do anything stupid.”

“But, wait! You can’t leave just like that.”

“Yes, I can and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

 

Stefan doesn’t wait for an answer and he grabs Katherine’s hand. Together, they rush through the door and vanish into the night. Klaus smiles at Elena and he walks away, leaving the door open behind him. Damon still hasn’t woken up.

 

__

 

“Do you think he’ll ever find us?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you think he’s even looking for us?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

 

It’s been almost two months since they’ve left Mystic Falls and they haven’t even heard of Klaus. They’re still in the country, in the area of San Diego. Katherine has spent many centuries running from Klaus and she’s discovered quite a lot of places where she knows they will be safe. It’s all that matters to her. Her Stefan is safe, and he hasn’t run back to Mystic Falls yet, so everything’s perfect to her. She isn’t sure about Stefan, though.

 

“I’m sorry,” she mutters.

“For what?”

“For bringing you into this mess. You’re on the run because of me and that’s not what I wanted for you.”

 

Stefan smiles at her, and it warms her heart a little. He’s just too handsome.

 

“I’m happy to be with you, Katherine. I don’t care if we have to hide for the rest of our existence; as long as I’m by your side then I think I’ll manage.”

“Aren’t you the cutest thing ever?”

“Oh, shut up,” he answers with a laugh.

 

Sometimes, being with Katherine and saying such things makes him feel like a fool. Or like a poet. But he can’t stop himself.

 

“It’s just… I’ve done everything in my power to make sure that Klaus wouldn’t hurt you; that’s the reason I left you in 1864 and now…”

“Katherine, I said it’s okay. Klaus is not going to find us. And I wouldn’t let him hurt you anyway.”

 

Katherine is tempted to say that Stefan could not do much against Klaus, but she keeps her mouth shut. Stefan knows that already, he’s just saying it to reassure her. For now, it’s enough and she wants to believe him. She takes a sip from her drink and rises from her seat.

 

“I wanna dance. Come on.”

 

Stefan doesn’t resist when she takes his hand to lead him on the dance floor.

 

__

 

Klaus do not find them. They find Klaus. Or rather, they find his body, desiccated. Stefan and Katherine are in Florida when he receives a call from Damon; the first call after a whole year of silence. Damon tells him that Bonnie is on the loose, crazy with dark magic because of creepy professor Shane. But before she went nuts—according to his words—she managed to find a spell powerful enough to stop the Original Hybrid. He also announces that Elijah has come back to claim Rebekah’s body and they made him promise to never set foot in Mystic Falls again. They haven’t heard from Kol.

 

And suddenly, it’s okay for them to come back. They’re just not sure they want to.

 

__

 

Caroline comes to find them on a bright and sunny afternoon of June, in Houston. Stefan and Katherine are taking a walk in a public park, and suddenly she’s there, in front of them. She knocks the wind out of Stefan as she pulls him into a bone-crushing hug. Then she hugs Katherine just as hard.

 

“Oh, I’ve missed you so, so much! You can’t imagine how terrible it’s been without you!”

“Sorry, I guess we suck at keeping in touch.”

“That you do. You must have so many things to tell me!”

“Is that a ring on your finger?” Katherine asks in a bored tone that makes Stefan smile because he knows she’s thrilled inside.

“Yes, isn’t it beautiful?” Caroline beams at them.

“Wait—You’re engaged?”

“Yes!” The blonde vampire squeals.

“Congratulations!”

 

And they’re hugging again, and laughing. It feels great to be reunited.

 

__

 

Caroline stays with them for two whole weeks before she has to go back to Tyler. But she makes them swear to be at her wedding in September. Stefan and Katherine are quick to agree. They wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world.

 

__

 

They spend their last night together on the beach in Santa Barbara. There are a few bottles of alcohol between them, pretty much empty. The waves are crashing not far from where they’re lying. Katherine’s head is resting on Stefan’s chest and her eyes are closed. She can’t remember the last time she’s felt this peaceful.

 

“Do you remember the last time we were on a beach together?”

“Seems like a lifetime ago.”

 

She nods in agreement. Stefan’s arm closes around her waist and brings her closer to him.

 

“I feel good.”

“Me, too.”

 

His fingers tease the skin under the hem of her shirt, and Katherine shivers. Stefan has an incredible effect on her body. She kisses him under his chin, then along his jawline until she reaches his ear.

 

“I want you,” she whispers.

 

It drives Stefan crazy every time. He’s on top of her in a heartbeat.

 

“All you have to do is ask, Miss Pierce.”

 

She smiles at him and kisses his lips gently.

 

“I’m asking now.”

 

This is going to be one hell of a night.


End file.
